Our Past, Our Future: Epilogue
by Spider240
Summary: Sorry for the format. I'm leaving the epilogue chapters the way they were in OPOF so they're all going to be cut off. Basically, I just made this so that OPOF wouldn't be so long. Hitomi/Hayate and Ayane/Hayabusa.
1. Epilogue Chapter One: Falling Into Place

Disclaimer- I don't own Dead or Alive. Tecmo Inc. does, not me.  
  
**A.N.**- The end... the epilogue is up now... which is this. Yeah, R/R. And like I said, please consider this for your favorite stories list. Oh, and everyone is five years older. Hitomi's parents know that Ein is Hayate now, but not who Hayate is. Hitomi and Hayate got married a week after the last chapter. When referring to Ryu, I'm only going to use the name "Ryu" not "Hayabusa" since Ayane is married to him and would be Ayane Hayabusa. Ayane and Ryu are currently on their honeymoon and have been married for a month.  
  
**Qui-ti**- Wow... coincidence... weird. And about the angst, I can't really write a story without it. And thanks for putting the fic on your favorites list.  
  
**Forevermore**- The chapter title was intended to connect Kasumi and Hayate, not for Hitomi and Hayate. Sorry for the scare. The next fic is going to be a whole different story. This now is the epilogue/sequel sumed up in one chapter. I have actually two fics in mind. One is what would have happened if Ein hadn't had any falshbacks and never went to the second DOA tournament. The other is an AU fic, reversed lives should explain it well enough.  
  
**writer chickie**- Yeah, I kinda wished that this would go on for a long time also. I saw a 51 chapter fic so that might have not been a bad idea. And thanks for putting my fic on your favorites list.  
  
**golden-flame4**- Thanks for reviewing. And tons of thanks for putting my story on your favorite's list. Really appreciated. And since this is then end, it's gonna be a long epilouge.  
  
**Elikem**- I said Japan? My mistake, I musta been thinking of Hayate. Hmm, I thought I did put Korea. Whatever. Thanks for pointing it out. I'll fix it once I improve the fight scenes.  
  


* * *

  


**Our Past, Our Future**

Epilouge

_By: Joey/Mai fan15_

  


* * *

  
    Hayate adjusted the five-year-old's arms ao that she held the katana right. A new supervisor stood nearby watching, "Hayate, the kid is only five years old, she can't use a sword."  
  
    "You father taught me when I was five. He was a great supervisor," the child's sword faltered, "Ehh... maybe you're right. I should have started off with a smaller weapon."  
  
    "I don't think we should have started off with a weapon at all. You might have been ready, but she isn't," he replied as he motioned for Hayate to step into the other room, "About you daughter, Hitomi is still alright with her being raised here?"  
  
    "We were both kind of reluctant... but it's better that way. We'll visit her once in a while," the two stood in silence, looking toward Hayate's daughter, "She must think that Hitomi and I are horrible parents..."  
  
    "She may be young, but she knows this is for the best. If she didn't do this Kasumi would be overthrown, maybe killed. Then they'd go after her and Hitomi. Besideds, I think she likes the idea of leading after Kasumi in a few years."  
  
    "I'm going to go out and say goodbye to Natsu," Hayate walked back through the door and knelt down as he ruffled her hair, "I'm going to go home now. You be good for aunt Kasumi, okay?"  
  
    "Okay daddy," the little girl wrapped her arms around her father.  
  
    Hayate smiled as he walked outside again to talk to the supervisor, "I'll be back next Sunday. Tell her that Hitomi can only come on her birthday though, she can't come back and forth as fast and as inexpensive as I can."  
  
    "I will," replied the supervisor. Hayate closed his eyes and concentrated on his destination. When he opened them, he found himself at his office in the karate dojo. He had inherited it when he married Hitomi through his father in-law's wishes. Hitomi taught alongside him.  
  
    Hitomi walked through the door, she was already wearing her gi for tonights lesson, "Oh, you're back. How's our daughter?"  
  
    "She's doing fine," Hayate pulled her closer and kissed her lightly on the lips, "I think she's enjoying it there."  
  
    "You know, we'll have to tell my parents about her someday. We're lucky she was born while we were in Japan for that year."  
  
    "I know, but I don't think tonight's the right time. Your father did just get out of the hospital a week ago."  
  
    Hayate sat down on the chair next to his computer, Hitomi sat down on his lap facing him. She put her arms around his neck, "We have a class in fifteen minutes. It's all ten-year-olds tonight."  
  
    "Hmm..." Hayate wrapped his arms around her waist and began to kiss her neck, slowy moving downward.  
  
    "Hayate! Stop, what if one of the students show up early?" she was obviously enjoying it, but didn't want any of the students to catch them.  
  
    "C'mon, I'll lock the door," teased Hayate as he lifted Hitomi off of him, "I'm going to go get changed before we have to start... can you check if anyone hasn't paid their tuition?"  
  
     "Sure," as Hayate walked out of the room, Hitomi began rapidly going through files on the computer. Only a few students hadn't come up with their tuition yet so she began to print out a few newsletters to give to the students' parents when they came to pick them up.  
  
    The phone rang, she picked it up. Her father was on the other line, "Hitomi, I'm running a little late. You and Hayate have to start without me."  
  
    "Why, what's happening?"  
  
    "It's just traffic, Hitomi. Nothing to worry about," over the phone she could hear car horns blaring and impatient drivers cussing.  
  
    "Well, be careful. With your high blood pressure, you can't get angry or else you'll end up in the hospital again," Hitomi grabbed the pieces of paper that came out of the printer and signed them, "Just go straight home, you should relax... you haven't gone past home yet, have you?"  
  
    "No, I haven't. Do you think you two can manage alone?"  
  
    "Of course, it isn't a big challenge. Besides, there's only one more class then he and I are going to head to our place."  
  
    "Do you two want to come over for dinner?"  
  
    "I'll ask Hayate when he gets done changing," replied Hitomi.  
  
    "Christmas is coming up, are you going to spend it with Hayate's family or are they coming here?"  
  
    Hayate appeared in the doorway, "Hayate's family doesn't celebrate Christmas, remember? But we're going to go to Japan and spend it alone, is that alright?"  
  
    Hayate motioned for her to cover the reciever, "Hold on dad."  
  
    "I think we should tell him about our daughter. He'll be better by Christmas, you don't have to lie."  
  
    "Oh, and do you want to go there for dinner?"  
  
    "It's up to you."  
  
    "Dad, on second thought, we're not going to go to Japan. We'll spend Christmas with you. We'll see if some of our relatives can come," said Hitomi as she thought of Natsu.  
  
    "Well be quick about it, Christmas is next week."  
  
    "I know," Hayate turned towards the stairs that went down to the dojo at the sound of the bell that hung above the door, "Dad, I have to go. The students are here. We'll see you later. Bye."  
  
    "Bye."  
  
    Hayate put an arm around Hitomi's waist as the two walked downstairs together.  
  


* * *

  
    Ayane sighed as she pulled Ryu's arm further around herself, life was great. She had finally gotten married to him a month ago. The year they had promised eachother had been stretched out to five years due to his dissapearance a few months after Hayate left. He had come back a week before the wedding which took place along with a montain of appologies.  
  
    He had been captured and held prisoner by a rival ninja clan for the long time and Ayane had been worried about him every moment. Ryu's sleeping figure shifted and he let out a groan, his arm moved off of her, "Ryu, are you awake?"  
  
    "...Yeah..." he wrapped his arms around Ayane's bare skin, "I think we should probably go back home tomorrow, they can't keep everything together forever."  
  
    "But we've only been on our honeymoon for a month," she turned around to face him, "Besides, it's not like the two groups don't get along."  
  
    Ryu kissed her deeply, "I dunno."  
  
    The two of them laid there, holding eachother for what seemed like eternity until Ryu's cell phone rang. He reached over to pick it up, "Hello?"  
  
    Ayane listened to the conversation as she gathered her clothes, "...Ayane wants to stay a while longer."  
  
    After putting the dirty clothes that laid around the room she gathered clean ones and dissapeared through the bathroom door. Ryu listened for her to turn on the water to be sure that she wouldn't hear, "You guys can't handle it alone?"  
  
    "No, they've actually declared war on us. The Shinobi have remained neutral, and they'll stay that way until Natsu is of age."  
  
    "Hayate's request?"  
  
    "No. Knowing you and Ayane, you wouldn't want to put her in any danger. She _is_ you'r neice afterall."  
  
    "Okay, good. Make sure it stays that way. And don't call Ayane's cell phone, I don't want her to worry about this."  
  
    "Yes sir... Do you have any commands?"  
  
    "The Shikoyo clan is more like a small army. They'll fall apart once their leader is killed," Ryu had his attention divided, half went to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom and half to the phone.  
  
    "Are you sure that's going to work?"  
  
    "Yeah, they only have one leader, the rest of them are just basically what he uses for cannon fodder. After he's gone, they'll either fall apart or lose whatever coordination that they ever had," he picked up a book, "Listen, for the rest of the time I'm gone, I don't want any intteruptions. Just pick a temporary tactical director, preferrably someone who acctually knows what they're doing."  
  
    "Sorry, but this was an important matter," his voice was shaky.  
  
    "It's alright, just do what I say and everything will be fine, okay. I gotta go," he didn't wait for a response before hanging up. He leaned back against the heaboard, turning his attention to the book he had picked up.  
  
    After a few minutes it started to bore him. Eventually, he stopped reading altogether and put it down. He wanted to get back to the clan, finish off the Shikoyo clan himself. Of course there was still Ayane, who he'd do just about anything for.  
  
    Ryu closed his eyes and started started to try to go to sleep but he was unable to because of the running water in the bathroom. He got up, deciding that it was time to do something about it...  
  


* * *

  
    "Do you think we should tell them tomorrow morning? That way, we won't ruin the Holidays if my father doesn't approve of it," the two were standing on the back porch of her parents' house.  
  
    "I don't care when we tell them. It's just your father's heart condition... I don't want him to have to go back to the hospital," he replied.  
  
    "Well, he shouldn't be too surprised at this. What does he think we did on out honeymoon? Besides, I'm twenty-five now."  
  
    "You were nineteen when she was born. You were still a teenager," Hayate was being a little too cautious about this.  
  
    "That doesn't matter. That was five years ago. I was almost twenty anyways. My father allowed us to get married, he knew that that was going to happen. Besides, I think he'd love having a grandaughter."  
  
    Hayate sighed, "Okay, but then what do we tell him when he asks where she is? That she's with my family, training to become the leader of a ninja clan?"  
  
    "Yep. Remember what you told me, you couldn't stand lying to me about yourself. You should feel the same with my relatives."  
  
    "Hitomi... I can't tell them that. I'm in love with you, not your parents."  
  
    "You have to tell them eventually."  
  
    "I know... it's just... his heart condition..."  
  
    "He'll be alright."  
  
    "Hitomi... I don't know..."  
  
    "Fine, we'll only mention it if it comes up, alright?"  
  
    Hayate looked up at the night sky, then back down at her, "Alright... Let's just tell them now. Get it over with."  
  
    "Good, lets go back inside before my parents get suspicious," as if on cue, her mother appeared at the doorway.  
  
    "What's wrong? Are you two okay?"  
  
    "Yes mom. We just needed to talk," her mother began to walk away, "Mom? Hayate and I need to talk to you and dad."  
  
    Instantly sensing the seriousness of it, she rushed off to get her husband. A few seconds later the two reappeared, "What is it?"  
  
    "You might want to sit down," they did and she continued, "Dad, Hayate and I... we have a daughter."  
  
    They took it well, considering the weight of the what she just said. They both also knew when they had the child, the year that they had spent in Japan after their wedding which had happened fairly quickly, "How come you didn't tell us right away?"  
  
    His wife answered for them, "Because she was still a teenager."  
  
    At the end of her mother's comment, she looked over at her father who was probably bubbling up with anger on the inside, "Dad..."  
  
    "Hitomi... don't worry about it. I knew that you werent a little girl anymore when I let you go to the tournament," he ran a hand through his hair and smiled, "Besideds why would I let you two get married if I didn't want this to happen?"  
  
    The four stayed silent until Hitomi's mother spoke again, "So where is my grandaughter?"  
  
    "She's with my sister in Japan," Hayate had spoken for the first time the whole night, causing much surprise from his in-laws.  
  
    "Why isn't she with you two?"  
  
    Hitomi looked up at Hayate and he looked down at her, shaking his head no. Her father caught on to this, "What's wrong?"  
  
    Hayate got up and left, going through the house and out to the driveway. From the back yard they could hear the car's enging roar to life, "Dad, we have to go. It's a long story."  
  
    She got up and said goodbye to her parents before getting into the car with Hayate. Her parents watched as the car sped off, "What do you think happened?"  
  
    "I don't know..."  
  
    "I wish they'd tell us," Hitomi's mother stated as the two walked back into the house.  
  
    "I can't beleive they have a five year old daughter and they've kept this hidden for such a long time," in an exhausted manner, he sat down in his easy chair and turned on the TV, "They should have told us."  
  
    "Then why'd you tell her that it was alright?"  
  
    "I didn't. I said that it was alright for those to to have a kid. Not that it was alright for them to when she was still a teenager."  
  
    "Maybe they'll tell us later."  
  
    "I hope so."  
  


* * *

  
    "I still don't think that it was right to not tell them about who you really are," the two had been on their way home for a half hour.  
  
    "Hitomi, no one is supposed to know that ninjas exist. They're supposed to be a secret. I'm not saying that I don't trust them... I just can't trust them. Please, try to understand. You can tell them something similar, like I worked as a secret agent in Japan or something and that our daughter is training to take my place. I dunno, I just can't tell them the truth."  
  
    "How come you didn't get in trouble when you brought me there?"  
  
    "Because... Hayabusa and Ayane trusted my judgement on what kind of person you were. We all knew that you wouldn't tell."  
  
    "Okay, but as soon as possible, we're bringing Natsu here to meet her grandparents. That means before Christmas."  
  
    "Fine. Let's just stop argiung about this."  
  
    Hitomi nodded, "I'm sorry Hayate. I didn't know that your life was such a big secret. I should have never pressured you into telling me who you were."  
  
    "You didn't. Hitomi, I told you because I loved you. I still do. I couldn't lie to you for forever. I'll go get our daughter tonight."  
  
    "You don't have to," she offered as they pulled into the driveway.  
  
    "I want to. Because I love you."  
  
    "I love you too, Hayate," Hitomi unlocked the door and the two walked in, "So when will you be back?"  
  
    "I'll just teleport there, but since she can't teleport back here, it'll take about another day. I should be back tomorrow if I can get a flight right away. I think I'll leave in a few hours. Right now I need to rest."  
  
    "What does she look like now? The last time I saw her was on her birthday last year."  
  
    Hayate got up to head to their room, "You'll see tomorrow. Wake me up in two hours."  
  
    "Okay," she watched as Hayate got up to leave, then when she heard the door close upstairs, she burst into tears. Having a child was the most foolish thing she had ever done. She was nineteen; young, naieve, in love. Now she had the burden of feeling like a horrbile parent, only seeing and taking care of her daughter five times. Once a year at her birthday.  
  
    Natsu probably saw Kasumi as her mother and Hitomi as the person who babysat her once a year. Every time Hayate went off to visit her on weekends all Hitomi did was sit around and think about how bad of a parent she was.  
  
    She had come last in the last four DOA tournaments because of that. Her mind was always elsewhere, thinking about Hayate or Natsu. Every waking moment was torture without Hayate. He was the only reason for existance now, he was the one that kept her happy and fought off death. He was the one who would always be there for her.  
  
    Hitomi got up, wiped her tears away, and headed upstairs to join Hayate. She stopped at the door breifly and continued in, "Hayate?"  
  
    He grumbled in reply and pulled the covers off the right side of the bed so that Hitomi could join him. When she got in, he pulled the blankets over so that they covered her also and genlty kissed her on the lips, "Remember to wake me up."  
  
    She nodded as she turned on the light on her side of the bed and picked up a book. Hayate turned away from the light, "Goodnight Hitomi."  
  
    "Goodnight."  
  


* * *

  
    The midday sun shone down on Hayate, an unwelcome change to the darkness that he was expiriencing a few seconds before. It had only been a few hours ago that he stood in this place, watching his daughter as she finished up on her lesson. He walked over to where Natsu should be lerning all the rules and conditions that every Shinobi had to know.  
  
    He opened the door and closed it gently behind him, but Natsu's sensitive ears picked it up. She was about to get up but her supervisor put a hand on her shoulder to keep her down, "Keep reading."  
  
    He continued walking to Hayate, "Back so soon?"  
  
    "Yeah, Hitomi and I decided to tell her parents about their grandaughter. I need to bring her home. Just for a month."  
  
    The suprevisor put on a grim look, "You know, she's still young. The whole ninja issue might slip out. No one can know that we exist. I don't care how much you trust you in-laws, they can't know."  
  
    "They wont. Natsu will keep quiet," he looked up at her daughter, noticing that she was eavesdropping, "Won't you Natsu."  
  
    She turned around, smiled and nodded. Hayate turned back to the supervisor, "It'll only be for the weekend."  
  
    "Alright then," he turned around, "Natsu go pack up."  
  
    The young girl got up and ran out of the building, only stopping to hug her father. Then he followed after her, "I'm going to help her pack."  
  
    When he got to his daughters room, she had already packed two suitcases full of clothing, stuffed animals, and other personal belongings, "I'm ready to go, daddy!"  
  
    "You're only going to be there for three days. You don't need to pack all that," he smiled down at her.  
  
    "Why are we going anyways?"  
  
    "To see your mother and your grandparents."  
  
    "What are they like?" asked Natsu as she piled clothing back into the closet that laid oppisite her bed.  
  
    "You'll see," he walked over to her and gave her his cell phone and dialed Hitomi's number, "Talk to your mother, I'll put all of this back."  
  
    Hayate listened as he took the clothes back out and folded them before putting them away, "Hi, Hitomi. Daddy's here and we're going to leave soon."  
  
    Hitomi frowned at what her daughter said, that she called her Hitomi instead of mother, but didn't say anything about it, "I can't wait to see you again."  
  
    "Daddy said you couldn't."  
  
    Again frowining, she gave up, "Can I talk to Hayate?"  
  
    She didn't say anything so she was about to say something but Hayate answered, "Hello?"  
  
    "Hayate... what's happening?"  
  
    Hayate became confused, "What do you mean?"  
  
    "Why does my daughter call me 'Hitomi' and not 'mom'?"  
  


* * *

  
**A.N.**- Okay, not the end. Notepad said that it doesn't have enough memory to continue going in one peice so there will be yet another chapter. So this actually stopped right in the middle of a part. So R/R and thank the people who made notepad so craptacular. 


	2. Epilogue Chapter Two: A Solution

  
**Disclaimer**- I don't own Dead or Alive.  
  
**A.N.**- Remember, the last chapter was cut off so this is basically the same chapter. Also, sorry for the long wait again. Problems at home is all. I can't wait until college. UBDC is equivalent to the CIA. I also know that Delta comes before Omega, but I needed a name. Since the Hayabusa clan is named after Hayabusa's family, Hayate's last name is going to be Shinobi. I know that's probably wrong, but whatever I don't care. It's probably the closest possivle guess... wither that or the furthest.  
  
**Forevermore**- Thanks. She does feel like a bad parent, and Natsu doesn't really think of her as a mother. To Natsu, Kasumi is her mother and Hitomi's just a babysitter. That'll change hopefully by the end of the chapter. Considering how Notepad doesn't hold much, it might take another chapter. Anyways, Natsu has the same facial features from Hayate's side of the family, so she looks kind of like Kasumi. She has brown hair and blue eyes like Hitomi's though. Also, everyone, read her "Crawling in the Dark" fic. It's very well written. One of the best there is. Garunteed.  
  
**digininga**- Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad this is the first DOA fic that caught your eye. Hitomi, Hayate, and Ein are my best characters too. The only characters I'm bad with are Leon, Bass, Gen Fu and Ryu. My cousin doesn't let me use them because he doesn't want me to be good with everyone. I don't really mind. I don't really like any of them anyways. Thanks again.  
  
**Qui-ti**- You probably called her 'mom' when you were five though, right?  
  
**Brant Cinerate**- A lemon is a graphic sex scene. So basically, you get the point why I'm not taking the risk of writing one, right? Oh, and I fixed that problem.  
  


* * *

  


**Our Past, Our Future**

Epilouge Part 2

_By: Joey/Mai fan15_

  


* * *

  
    "Hold on," Hayate walked out of his room and told Natsu to finish up, "I don't know. She's young. She doesn't know you well. She's more attatched to Kasumi than to you. When she comes, just spend some time with her. She'll get used to you."  
  
    "Get used to me? I'm her mother, she shouldn't have to get used to me!"  
  
    "Hitomi, things are different in our situation. She's being raised away from you, of cousre she won't be used to you. Listen, I promise you that by the time she comes back here, she'll call you mother."  
  
    "Hayate...  
  
    He interrupted, "Have I ever broken a promise to you?"  
  
    "No... but this is something you can't control."  
  
    "I can't control when I die and after promising you that I'd come back, I've escaped death thousands of times," Hayate heard their daughter call from the other room, "Remember, I promise. We'll be there tomorrow afternoon."  
  
    "Okay... See you later. I love you."  
  
    "Love you too."  
  
    "Tell our daughter I love her."  
  
    "I will, bye."  
  
    Hayate walked out to his daughter's bedroom to see if she was ready to go. He walked over to her bed and picked up the small suitcase, then ushered her daughter outside to meet up with her supervisor and aunt.  
  
    Natsu ran to Kasumi and hugged her, "I'm going to miss you, auntie Kasumi."  
  
    "I'm going to miss you too," she stood up again to give her brother a hug, but found him engaged in a conversation with Gan, Natsu's supervisor so she went back to Natsu.  
  
    "I heard from Masaki earlier. I didn't want to tell you, but they need some help. The Shikoyo declared war on them. Since Natsu is going to be gone for a while, should we help them out?"  
  
    "Why don't you ask Kasumi?"  
  
    "Natsu's your daughter," Gan pointed out.  
  
    "No. As much as I want to help them, I can't. If they find out that the Shinobi are helping them out, they'll attack us. I don't want my daughter to go through what I did. Seeing everyone you know and love die took a grave toll on me..."  
  
    "Okay, but they might attack us anyways. They know that we're the Hayabusas' allies."  
  
    "If that happens, Kasumi, Natsu, and a few guards have to come meet me at the karate dojo in Germany."  
  
    "Yes sir."  
  
    "Okay, Natsu, let's go."  
  


* * *

  
_Employer: Victor Donovan, President of Dead Or Alive Tournament Executive Committee(DOATEC)  
Target: Gafur Semso, Citizen #009512898 of Yugoslavia. Former employee of DOATEC's Berane division.  
Specifications: Silence, speed, stealth  
Weapon Suggestions: Fiber Wire, Silenced Pistol, etc. Reward: ________ euros Details: Mr. Semso has information on Projects Alpha, Epsilon, Omega, Psi, and our newest Project Delta. He has recently started working for the UBDA of Yugoslavia. If information of our true buisness gets out they will contact France's prime minister. He will shut down and again DOATEC will fall into exile. Our leaders (mainly me) will be jailed. You need to stop this, name your price.  
Assistance: Ayane Hayabusa_  
  
    Christie looked at the laptop computer that sat on the bed in front of her. She remembered the results of project Omega and Psi. People were mutated, augmented, and altered to increase strength. She had gone to DOA4 to see Hayate once more, realizing what he really meant to her. Hayate's step sister was listed at the bottom. Why would she need a partner to get to one person?  
  
    She was ready to decline until she read the reward again, "Any price... hmm..."  
  
    She let her feet fall at the end of their bed and moved herself over, reaching under the bed to get the sniper rifle that she was supposed to kill Kasumi with. She swore she would never look at it again. It reminded her of Hayate and what he thought she did.  
  
    She wiped the dust off the titanium case and opened it. She felt the black velvet that surrounded the pieces of the rifle, "I guess I should stop feeling guilty. I need money."  
  
    She responded with an agreement, demanding 3 million euros knowing that they were desperate. A few seconds later a reply came. One million. She replied back again. Two-fifty. It was finally settled at two million. Another email sent in locations and other facts needed for the mission.  
  
    She sent another email saying that she wouldn't need assistance. She had her own plane outside of her rather large mansion (both thanks to reward money) so that she wouldn't have any possibility of being found whatsoever.  
  


* * *

  
    Ayane's cell phone started to beep, signaling that there were two new emails. She found none. Unknown to her, DOATEC had hacked into it remotely to delete the mail. She shrugged it off, putting it back into her purse she dragged Ryu into a clothing store.  
  
    Within minutes she was in a dressing room with millions of outfits and Hayabusa was sitting right outside the door with a very borded look on his face. His cell phone rang, "Hello"  
  
    "Ryu, it's urgent. You need to come back right away!"  
  
    "I thought I told you not to bother me."  
  
    Ayane heard what he said and continued to change while paying half attention to Ryu's conversation, "I don't care."  
  
    She picked up her cell phone and attatched a piece of equipment to it so that she could listen to her husband's conversation. She knew that it was important, "They have attacked us! Fifty of us are dead! My wife and child are dead! We have to do something!"  
  
    "Calm down. I wouldn't make a difference anyways."  
  
    "Yes you would. The person that was taking over for you is dead. The Shinobi are still not involved and we need help. Please, come back. Ayane won't mind. Besides, you've been gone for a while now. How long has it been? Almost a month?"  
  
    "Listen, the Shikoyo should be easy to take care of. Didn't you kill the leader yet?"  
  
    "You were wrong! There isn't only one leader. They have seven."  
  
    "What?"  
  
    "You know how people try to eliminate their weaknesses? I think maybe thats what they did. Do you think so," his tone was sarcastic.  
  
    "Damnit, don't get smart with me. Just take care of it. I can't come."  
  
    "Just talk to Ayane-"  
  
    Ryu crushed the phone with his hands, cutting off both himself and Ayane from the other end, "Ayane, are you done yet?"  
  
    "Yeah. Just a second," she emerged from the dressing closet, "Ryu, it's not that I'm not enjoying all this, but I really want to go home. Maybe we can pick up on this some other time."  
  
    Ryu looked into her pleading eyes. It weakened him and she knew it, "Fine."  
  
    "So we'll go back tonight?"  
  
    "Sure."  
  


* * *

  
    A helicopter touched down in a clearing settled in the middle of an old city. As soon as it landed ninjas surronded it, wepons drawn. An old man and three guards came out. The old man yelled above the rotors of the helicopter, "I am Mr. Donovan. I need to see Mr. Shikoyo."  
  
    A ninja came to the front of the group, "What do you want?"  
  
    "A simple buisiness deal. You do something for us, we do something for you in return."  
  
    Shikoyo motioned for the crowd to part. They did as he lead Dr. Donovan to his own room. When they arrived they sat at a table opposite eachother and tea shortly arrived, "I'll ask again, what do you want?"  
  
    "Well, I've tapped into an assassin's cell phone. It turns out that she's the wife of the Hayabusa clan leader. From what I've gathered by a conversation she tapped into, you and the Hayabusa clan are at war. The Shinobi are close allied with them, am I right?"  
  
    "Yes."  
  
    "Well Hayate is the leader of the Shinobi. He was a failure of one of our expiriments, so was one of his uncles. We want to continue that tradition with his daughter," Donovan smiled.  
  
    "We don't want to get the Shinobi involved in this war. We'll lose for sure if that happens."  
  
    "We'll provide assistance in the war in return."  
  
    "Rumor is that Hayate has taken out about fifty of your foot soldiers and three helicopters at one time. Imagine what thousands Shinobi and Hayabus clan members could do."  
  
    "We can take care of him. We have enough power. We'll even take Natsu ourselves. All we need you to do is get the Shinobi away from her."  
  
    "You're in luck. An inside source said that he's taken his daughter to Germany for a while. It would probably easy for you to take her there."  
  
    "Oh... okay. Thanks for your time and the information then," Donovan walked away, back into the helicopter. Shikoyo watched as it left sight, "Idiot."  
  


* * *

  
    "This is where you and Hitomi live?"  
  
    "Yeah," he didn't want to convince her to call Hitomi mother. He trusted that she could do it on her own, "Remember to be quiet. She's probably still asleep."  
  
    "Okay daddy."  
  
    He lead her up to her room and tucked her in for the rest of the night then he headed to his own room. Hitomi laid in bed, asleep until he laid down next to her, "You're home already?"  
  
    "Yeah. Our daughter is in the other room. Maybe you want to see her?"  
  
    Hitomi got out of her bed and walked out of the room to Natsu's bedroom. A few minutes later she came back through the door, "She was asleep."  
  
    "Oh. I'd bet you're tired also?"  
  
    Hitomi came over to him and laid down on top of him. He began to rub her back, "Not really. I went to bed ealry. It's almost morning anyways. Let's just watch a movie."  
  
    "I'll be right back," Hayate went downstairs to get some popcorn and sodas to find his cell phone in his overcoat ringing. He picked it up, "Hello?"  
  
    "Hayate, Ayane and I are going back to Japan tomorrow. There's a war between the Shikoyo and my clan."  
  
    "How come I havent heard of this? I'd get Kasumi to help you out."  
  
    "No, Natsu would be in danger. Don't worry about it, we'll be okay. I just needed you to get Natsu out of Japan, just incase."  
  
    "Way ahead of you. She's already upstairs in bed."  
  
    "Okay then. Anything else you want?"  
  
    The microwave beeper went off, "No, I'm going to watch a movie with Hitomi. Then we're taking Natsu to her grandparents'."  
  
    "Oh, okay, bye then."  
  
    Hayate hung up the phone and headed upstairs to the bedroom. The Hitomi had the DVD remote in her hand and had the movie on pause during the opening credits. Hayate sat down next to her, handing her a diet soda "What movie?"  
  
    "Remember that movie we saw when you were regaining your memory?"  
  
    Hayate nodded and the moive started up again. Hitomi looked up at him then out the door, across the hall where Natsu would be sleeping, "We should bring her to the next karate class."  
  
    "I don't think so. If she gets mad at someone, she'll hurt them badly. I don't think we can afford to be sued," he replied, taking her into his arms, "Lets just watch the movie now."  
  
    Nothing was said again for the rest of the opening sequence. Hayate then spoke, "Are you nervous?"  
  
    Hitomi looked up at him, confused, "About what?"  
  
    "About your parents meeting Natsu. They might ask questions."  
  
    "Don't be nervous. My mom wants to have a granddaughter and my father... my father learned that I wasn't a little girl anymore when I went to the Dead or Alive tournament. I remember looking at the entrants sheet and being upset that 'Ein' wasn't listed."  
  
    "I wish I could go back to being Ein," whispered Hayate.  
  
    He hadn't spoken soft enough for her to not hear, "Why."  
  
    "Ryu just called. He and Ayane are going back to Japan already. The Shikoyo clan is after them again. Now I have to decide whether to go to Japan and help out or stay here."  
  
    "I don't want to seem selfish, but stay here. If anything happened to you..."  
  
    "Well, Ryu didn't ask for help. And the Shinobi wouldn't have to listen to me anymore so I wouldn't make a big difference."  
  
    Hitomi glanced over at the clock, "As soon as this movie's over we could bring her to her grandparents'. Did she sleep on the plane?"  
  
    "No. She's never even heard of a plane, you can just imagine how she acted. She never moved away from the window, half terrified of the height and half amazed at what she saw. But she's used to going to bed at eleven and getting up at four. So by ten she should be ready."  
  
    "Okay," she moved to sit down on his lap. After he slipped his arms around her waist she turned her head to the door at the sound of someone outside, Natsu, "Daddy? I'm not tired, can I stay here for a while?"  
  
    "You have to get up later to see your grandparents."  
  
    "I took a nap in the car on the way to the air... port," she climbed onto the bed and rested her head against Hayate's.  
  
    Hitomi got up to change the movie to something Natsu would like, knowing she wasn't the average child who would be facinated with a gay purple dinosaur. Picking out a random Kung Fu movie and placing it in the DVD player, she went back to the bed to take her spot. Natsu had taken it.  
  
    She looked up at Hayate and he shrugged, Hitomi laid down next to him instead. Natsu was too into the movie already to notice that Hayate had picked her up and placed her on the edge of the bed. He then laid down, facing Hitomi who turned around to meet her gaze, "Sorry..."  
  
    "It's not your fault. Like you said before, she's not used to me so she thinks that when I'm getting close to you she gets upset. It's alright," Hitomi looked over at their daughter who practically had her nose up against the TV, "That's not good for her eyes..."  
  
    "Natsu, back up a little."  
  
    After making sure she obeyed, he turned back to Hitomi, "You have to make some attempts to get closer to her."  
  
    "Don't you think I've tried?"  
  
    Hayate pointed to their daughter, "Here's a perfect opportunity right now."  
  
    "I'm not good at this kind of thing. I've never had to take care of kids my whole life, I don't know how to do this," she moved closer to Hayate, "It's alright. I don't mind her calling me Hitomi anymore."  
  
    "That's what Ayane said about everyone treating her like dirt when she was younger. She was scarred for life because of that. The pain that she experienced is still with her today. The night before their wedding, he called me and told me about that. He's worried about her. I don't want us to be in the same position. You can't back down," he looked at her and instantly knew that's not what she wanted to hear, "I'm not trying to fight with you. It's for the best."  
  
    With no more protest, Hitomi sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, "Do you like this movie?"  
  
    Hayate grinned. He could tell that this was akward for her. Natsu took her eyes off the TV for the first time, "Shhh."  
  
    Hitomi bit her lip so stop tears of frustration from flowing and glanced back at Hayate for a retreat but he urged her on. She turned back to her daughter, "What's it like in Japan?"  
  
    "Hitomi... let me watch the movie."  
  
    Giving up, she laid back down, "Hayate, I don't care anymore. It's not worth the trouble."  
  
    "Just try again later," she was about to protest but he stopped her with a kiss, "Try later."  
  


* * *

  
    Hayate knocked on the front door of the house, waiting for Hitomi's parents to come open it. He took a look back at his wife and daughter one nervous, one full of curiosity. The door opened and Hitomi's mother let the three of them in. She was still young, for a grandparent, only in her mid forties.  
  
    Hitomi brought Natsu in and sat her down at the couch, then went off to find her father. Her mother turned to Hayate, "So this is my granddaughter... I should have expected to be a grandmother at such an early age. I was only twenty when I gave birth to Hitomi."  
  
    Hayate nodded, not knowing what to say and turned on the TV for Natsu who was fussing with the remote. She continued, "So do you two have any trouble with her?"  
  
    "No. We sent her to a boarding school that my sister owns. I visit her once a month though," lied Hayate.  
  
    "How can you afford it?"  
  
    "My sister has a... helicopter. I just have to go to the airport, that's it."  
  
    Hitomi came back in with her father who sat down next to his wife. Hitomi came over and sat down next to her daughter, making more futile attempts to get close to her. Hitomi's father watched this and noticed that his granddaughter was quite impartial to Hitomi, "How come she doesn't seem to like her mother much?"  
  
    "She goes to a boarding school that Hayate's sister owns. So she's more partial to her," Hitomi's mother had answered for Hayate.  
  
    "Do you plan on teaching her karate?" he asked.  
  
    "I... I don't know. Maybe. Hitomi and I both know you want to keep the dojo in our family, but that might be kind of hard for Natsu. Maybe when she graduate from the boarding school," replied Hayate.  
  
    He looked down, fearing the loss of the karate dojo which had been started by his great grandfather. Hayate didn't want to make him dissapointed, but if he mentioned that he and Hitomi were thinking of a second child, he might get a little angry because the first child had been hidden from him for five years, "Okay, we will teach Natsu karate when she's old enough. I promise."  
  
    Hitomi's father remained unphased by his words, "I don't know, Hayate. The dojo means a lot to me. Same with my father and grandfather. We were all brought up learning it... basically, it's one of the most important things to me. I don't think that you could feel the same."  
  
    "Beleive me, I know that it's important. I will keep the dojo in our family, I promise."  
  
    Hitomi looked up from her daughter to support him, "He's never broken a promise, dad."  
  
    Uncertain of what to do now, and uncertain that the promise would be kept, he changed the subject, "Do you mind if my wife and I take Natsu out somewhere today?"  
  
    "Sure, but take Hitomi with you. She needs to spend some time with her daughter. I'll take care of all the classes today," offered Hayate.  
  
    Hitomi got up and took him into the kitchen, "Do I have to?"  
  
    "Hitomi, I don't want to force you into it. But it's for the best."  
  
    "But I'm only going to be seeing her once a year after this," Hitomi sat down in a chair and put another one in front of her for Hayate.  
  
    He sat down and took her hands, "What happened? Before you were really upset that she didn't like you much. Now you dont care."  
  
    "It's just too hard."  
  
    Hayate frowned, "Fine. Just try a little. If you can't by tonight, then you can stop trying."  
  
    "But then I'd be a bad mother," she knew full well that he was using reverse-psycology but it was still working.  
  
    "I have to get to the dojo now. You do what you think is right," they kissed passionately before he left the room.  
  
    "It's now or never..."  
  


* * *

  
    The bullet traveled through it's target's head. The young man, sulmped over the coffe table in front of him, spilling large amounts of blood onto the once valuable antique. To her luck there was no panic because Semso lived in a rich estate, the nearest building was more than a mile away. Neverless, she had to leave quickly.  
  
    Christie got back into her car, storing her rifle in a secret compartment under her seat. Then after locking it, she got into her car. She drove back onto the dirt road that lead back to the highway.  
  
    Once she was back onto the main road, she took out her cell phone and called DOATEC HQ. A receptionist picked up, "Hello, DOATEC Headquarters, may I help you?"  
  
    "Dr. Donovan please."  
  
    "One moment, please," some annoying elevator music came on, then was replaeced a few seconds later by Donovan's equally if not more annoying voice, "Hello?"  
  
    "I'm done."  
  
    "Okay... and you're calling me... why?"  
  
    "Uhh... I dunno... maybe... for the money? But you know, if you don't have it... it's alright. Simply working for you was a reward in itself."  
  
    "Sarcastic as usual. Unfortunately, we don't have the money, just like you said. We just used it on funding for project Delta."  
  
    "I want my money you bastard!"  
  
    "Please calm down."  
  


* * *

  
    **A.N.**- Well, again, I get cut off by Notepad, so r/r! I'm starting to think I should take off the epilogue and put it into a whole new fic... hmmm... very convinent. Okay, R/R!!! Sorry for the long, long, long wait!!! 


	3. Epilogue Chapter Three: An Issue of Trus...

**Disclaimer**- I don't own Dead or Alive.  
  
**A.N.**- Remember, Christie completed her mission in less than 12 hours. Flew to Yugoslavia, went to the target's house, pulled the trigger. Also, thanks to those who reviews got deleted again. Sorry this took so long, all my data was erased, and I had to re-do the chapter. Luckily, Brant, chapter 4 wasn't in my fanficiton folder. So you don't need to email it to me again.  
  
**Forevermore**- Yes, she does like him. But the feelings she had for him had faded a little since the main story but come back even more everytime she sees him. Kind of like cigarrettes. The more you smoke, the more additcted you become. And what are you talking about? Tons of people read your fic. I swear, it's the best DOA fan fic I've read in my opinion. I based Natsu after one of my cousins. Kasumi doesn't see Natsu as her daughter, maybe as a daughter in the adopted kind of way... I dunno... Remember, there's no such thing as a dumb question. And don't worry, as long as you put some work into it like you did CitD, it'll be execellent. But if you need some help, there's always an AU setting that you could do. Anyways, continue your fic. I'm thinking of doing a whole new fic about Shoma. It could turn out pretty good. Anyways, I'm glad you liked the last chapter.  
  
**Brant Cinerate**- Well... you'll have to wait and see if it's fixed.  
  
**Zeshin Hayabusa**- Thanks, bud. And where's the DOA fic that you've promised us all at the forums?  
  


* * *

  


**Our Past, Our Future**

Epilogue: Part 3

_By: Joey/Mai fan15_

  


* * *

  
    "Calm down?! How the hell can I calm down? I wanted my money now! If you don't give me it, you know what I have to do."  
  
    With a little fear in his voice, he replied, "Christie, please listen. As soon as we get our test subject and pay those who obtained her, I'll pay you personally, with intrest."  
  
    "I've completed the mission in less than," she glanced down at the digital clock on the radio, "twelve hours!"   
    "We'll get the money to you with interest," the doctor reiterated.  
  
    "Fine, just make it quick!"  
  
    "We'll finish as soon as possible," with that, her employer hung up.  
  


* * *

  
    Hitomi looked up at the dashboard of her parents' car. 11:16 pm. Her daughter was asleep a seat away, with her head against the window. It would only be a few more minutes until they reached her home.  
  
    She glanced over at her daughter who had only grown further apart from her that day. She was already attatched to her grandparents, but not her own mother. Her father pulled the car into the driveway and walked over to carry Natsu inside.  
  
    Hitomi's mother went ahead to get the door open. Hitomi followed her father inside, stopping momentarily as Hayate recieved Natsu. Then the two said good night to her parents and she headed up to her own room while Hayate put Natsu in her own.  
  
    Hayate went back into his room and laid down next to Hitonmi, "So how'd it go today?"  
  
    "It just got worse."  
  
    "How?"  
  
    "I... I don't want to talk about it right now."  
  
    "Are you going to try again tomorrow morning?"  
  
    "I guess... but it's not going to change anything," at the finish of her sentence, the sound of glass breaking came from the lower floor of the house. It was too loud to be something to have fallen and the two got up in alarm.  
  
    "Hitomi, stay here."  
  
    "I can take care of a thief you know."  
  
    "But if they have a gun, you can't teleport out of a bullet's path. Just go stay with Natsu," Hayate led her to Natsu's room to make sure she made it safely.  
  
    Their daughter was up in bed, scared out of her mind, "Daddy, what's happening."  
  
    "Nothing, just stay quiet and if your mother tells you something, you listen," with that, he headed out the door.  
  
    Natsu latched onto her mother's arm and stared at the bedroom door. Sure, she was used to more danger. But now, since she couldn't see her father and make sure he was alright, she was scared for him, "What's going to happen to daddy?"  
  
    "He'll be fine," suddenly gunshots broke out from downstairs and Natsu tightened her grip. Hitomi pulled her daughter closer and pulled the blanket over her.  
  
    Natsu cringed and covered her ears at the sound of the screams of those who were downstairs. Suddenly the glass window broke a few feet to the left and three sodiers rappled into the room. One of them aimed his gun at Hitomi's neck, "Don't move."  
  
    Natsu screamed. Hayate heard and in an instant was at the bedside and had knocked the man out. He quickly disposed of the other two, a gunshot rang out but he didn't move to dodge it fearing that it might hit Hitomi or Natsu. Again, his daughter screamed as he dropped to the floor.  
  
    "You bastard!" in blind fury, Hitomi went after the one who shot Hayate resulting in being knocked unconsious from the rifle's butt.  
  
    "Mommy, help!" those were Natsu's last words before being carried away from her parents. Unfortuantely, her parents never heard.  
  


* * *

  
    Hitomi woke up to find herself on her bed. She sat up and looked out the window, hoping that it was all a dream. That hope was broken by the police cars that surrounded the house. She ran dowstairs to see Hayate talking to a police officer. He had gause wrapped around his upper arm, a red bloodstain was leaking through. She ran to him, "I thought you were dead."  
  
    "No, they just shot my arm, then hit the back of my head. I was just knocked out."  
  
    "Are you okay?"  
  
    He nodded as the officer cleared his throat, "Well, keep going. You still havent explained why there are three dead bodies in your daughter's room."  
  
    "They came to kidnap my daughter. I was trying to protect her."  
  
    "You could have done as you did to all of them," the officer gestured to the DOATEC operatives that were luckily alive and being escorted in handcuffs.  
  
    "I was angry. They were pointing a gun at my wife," Hayate looked down at her as he said this.  
  
    "You two own a karate dojo, right?"  
  
    They nodded in reply. The officer looked at those who where being taken away, "And you did all this."  
  
    "I'm trained in some other forms of martial arts too," explained Hayate, knowing the question the officer was going to ask.  
  
    "Oh. You'd think that someone who could do all this would have to be very fast. I'd say had a gun too, but the forensic says that everything was done by hand."  
  
    Hayate laughed nervously, "...Yeah... Could you hurry it up a little? My wife and I... we're really upset about this... and we need some time alone."  
  
    "Sure," he turned around, "Okay everyone, hurry it up!"  
  
    The two of them walked back upstairs. Once they reached their room, they got into their bed, "I'm going to get her back. I promise."  
  
    "How?"  
  
    "I was captured for the same thing. I was a failure though. Hopefully, Natsu will be one too. I'm going to try to get her out of the DOATEC Headquarters. If they've kept the expirimentation process the same, she should be there."  
  
    "What is it like?"  
  
    "It's worse than death. They put you in a tank, run tests, then stick you with needles hoping that the augmentation won't kill you. The whole time, you're confused, not knowing anything but pain. Even if we do get her back, she might not remember anything about us."  
  
    "God, I hope that won't happen."  
  
    "Me too."  
  
    "Hayate, don't do it. Please. You said that you were going to get back to a normal life."  
  
    He remembered back a few years ago when the two had an arguement about that. He didn't want that to happen again, "So what, we're just going to leave our daughter there?"  
  
    "No, get the Shinobi to do it instead."  
  
    "But I'm her father."  
  
    "I will not lose both of you, Hayate. When I saw you get shot... that was the worst moment of my life. I was scared at the thought of losing you," she sobbed into his chest.  
  
    "It's alright. I'll get a few Shinobi to do it. I won't leave you. You're the most important person in my life, I'll never hurt you," it pained Hayate to think that he couldn't help his own daughter directly, but it pained him more to see his wife like this.  
  


* * *

  
    Ayane walked into her room and laid down on the bed, exhausted from the long plane ride. She pulled the silken sheets over herself and closed her eyes. The room was silent for a few minutes until Ryu and a few others came in and dropped the luggage. After the ninjas finally left, he silently crept over to her, "Ayane?"  
  
    Her eyes fluttered open and she glanced up at him. He continued, "We have to go take care of this buisness with the Shikoyo."  
  
    "You do it. I'm tired," she lazily replied before pulling the sheets back over herself, covering her face.  
  
    Ryu pulled the covers off her face, causing her to whimper, then kissed her forehead, "Okay, just be in the ceremonial hall for breakfast, okay?"  
  
    She didn't reply, just pulled the covers upagain. Ryu smiled and walked out, silently closing the oak door behind him.  
  
    As soon as he reached the exit to the large mansion, his cell phone rang. He reached into his pocket and picked the small peice of technology up, "Hello?"  
  
    "Ryu, it's me, Hayate," his voice sounded urgent.  
  
    "What's wrong?"  
  
    "Last night, DOATEC soldiers broke in here. They took Natsu. Hitomi says that I should just stay here. I need help, Ryu."  
  
    "I can't spare anyone. We're tied up with the Shikoyo. Why don't you ask Kasumi for some of the Shinobi?"  
  
    "I can't seem to contact her. I think that this war has indeed moved on to the Shinobi as predicted. They might have the city under seige. Please Ryu... my daughter."  
  
    "I'll see what I can do. But now that we have to free the Shinobi, that decreases the chances of you getting help."  
  
    Hayate sighed in frustration on the other line, "Fine. Just hurry it up. I do not want my daughter to end up like Genra. Or go through the confusion and pain that I did. Talk to Ayane. She'll say that you should."  
  
    "I'll see what I can do," he reiterated, then hung up and headed toward the meeting hall. Once inside, he met with the officials.  
  
    As soon as he sat down, one of the youngest of them spoke up, "Ryu, give us the go-ahead to get the Shinobi free."  
  
    "I know about that, and I need to leave again. I will give you permission, as long as you can give Ayane an adequate excuse for my absence."  
  
    "Yes, we'll do that. Now on to more important issues..." the group talked for what seemed like hours until the sun rose. Then Ryu headed back to the mansion to get Ayane.  
  
    Once in their room, he went to the window to let light in to wake up Ayane, "C'mon, it's time to get up."  
  
    Ayane groaned in reply and faced away from the open window. Ryu got into the bed next to her and again tried to wake her up, "C'mon, we have to start up again today. The clan can't run itself."  
  
    "I promise, I'll get up at ten."  
  
    Ryu got up again and went to the window, "Ayane-"  
  
    "Please, we just got back I'm still tired," she put the blankets over again.  
  
    He gave in and went out the door. Too much was going on, too many people needed help. He couldn't do all of this. There were still no new allies to help out, and their only potential one was taken over.  
  
    Sure, if there were any Shinobi left there would be a small resistance, but they could be wiped out before any of the Hayabusa or Hajin-Mon got there. They would have to act quickly and still rescue Natsu. Afterall, she was his neice.  
  
    Too much was going on, too much was happening. He decided with much guilt and difficulty, he was not going to get anyone to help Natsu. He himself would not go either, and Ayane would never find out from him.  
  
    Guilt panged in his chest as he advanced towards the Ceremonial Hall. He had to tell them that he wouldn't be leaving anymore. They were going to help out the Shinobi instead.  
  


* * *

  
    The bluish glow of Christie's laptop lit up the study of her large, luxurious mansion which was bought with the blood of dozens of victims. It was silent except for the sounds of fingers rapidly running across a keyboard, "Now hacking into DOATEC accounting division."  
  
    Christie sighed as the progress bar gradually moved to the right. She was checking to see if they really did have the money, like they said and if they were really paying those who obtained the test subject.  
  
    "Only about fourty-five thousand euros left... damnit, I knew that son of a bitch was lying," she whispered as she scrolled down to the account expences. Their account previously had more than a million euros. Now it was windeled down to a small total by paying fifty-five thousand to the search and capture team and nine-hundred thousand on the experiment itself.  
  
    She clicked on the link to the experiment details to find out why they had spent all her money. A screen came up an the test subject's last name stuck in her head, Shinobi, "That's Hayate's last name. Is she related to him?"  
  
    She remembered talking to Hayate about his uncle and him being taken away to be tested, maybe they wanted someone related to him again. She clicked on the link to the test subject's biography:  
  
_Full name: Natsu Maki Shinobi  
Nationality: Japanese  
Ethnic Background: 75% Japanese/25% German  
Gender: Female  
Birthday: January 13, age: 5  
Blood Type: O  
Height/weight: 2'6''/30 lbs  
Added information: Father was test subject for Project Epsilon._  
  
    "Hayate's kid..." she stared off into nothing as she shut down her computer. She worked for someone who took Hayate's kid. She could have prevented it from happening. Sesso could have shut down DOATEC, "But I just had to have the money."  
  
    She knew where Hayate lived now. She had been keeping track of him since the fourth DOA tournament. She had to see him, it might lighten up the mood a little to see an old friend, even if he did think she tried to kill his sister, "It's been five years alredy, he probably forgot all about it anyways."  
  


* * *

  
    Hitomi's father stood behind the caution tape, examining his daughter's living room which had been a crime scene for a week. Bullet holes were embedded in the walls and outlined with white chalk. The same chalk that formed the sillhouettes of bodies that once laid in that very spot. Their granddaughter's room was in the same condition.  
  
    Hayate stood a few feet away from him leaning against the wall, exhausted from the long day. He looked at his father-in-law, examining the perplexed look on his face. He turned to Hayate, "Is Hitomi alright?"  
  
    "She says she is. Although I don't know. Really, since she's disconnected from Natsu, I have no clue what is going through her mind right now."  
  
    "Why did you send her to a boarding school for this long time? Normal children don't even start school until they're four or five."  
  
    Hayate didn't know what to say, all he knew was he couldn't tell the truth, "Well... Hitomi and I, we didn't know what to do. She was still a teenager. We didn't know how you'd react..."  
  
    "I'd be a little upset, but I was ready for that when I 'gave her away' at the wedding," he interrupted. Then gestured for him to continue.  
  
    "While we were in Japan, I stopped by to see my sister. We told her our problem over dinner one time and she offered to keep her in the boarding school. She started learing when she was old enough to process and memorize information. Basically, we just didn't know what to do."  
  
    The old man nodded in understaning and followed Hayate downstairs to the kitchen. He sat down and Hayate went to get two cups of coffe. They were joined by Hitomi, who came into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes which were red and tear-stained. She sat down next to Hayate and he offered her his own drink.  
  
    She gladly took it and leaned into Hayate once the mug was empty. In five or ten minutes, the silence was broken and Hitomi was fully awake, "So where's mom?"  
  
    "She decided to stay with her sister for a while. She hasn't gotten the news yet though. I found out last night when I got home. After the news finished I was going to call you, but it was late.  
  
    "So when is mom going to be back?"  
  
    "In a week."  
  
    The doorbell rang and Hitomi got up to answer it, expecting it to be another investegator or concerned neighbor. She opened the door to see a familiar face although she didn't know where from.  
  
    "May I come in?" she noticed the look of uncertainty on Hitomi's face, "I'm here to see Hayate."  
  
    "Oh," she ushered the woman to the couch, "Who should I say came to visit?"  
  
    "Christie."  
  
    "Oh, now I remeber you! You were in the Dead or Alive tournaments, weren't you?"  
  
    The albino beauty smiled and nodded as Hitomi went to get her husband. A few seconds later, she re-emerged with Hayate and her father. Christie looked at the three and decided that they probably all couldn't hear the oncoming conversation, "Could I talk to Hayate alone?"  
  
    Hitomi hesitantly left the room with her father. After making sure that Hitomi or her father would hear them, she started to speak, "So how's it been?"  
  
    "Alright."  
  
    She winced at the cold tone of his voice, "You haven't forgotten, ahve you."  
  
    He replied abruptly, "No."  
  
    "I never tried to kill your sister, you know I wouldn't do that. I'm your friend," she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  
  
    He took her hand off himself, "You're also an assassin."  
  
    She looked out the window, knowing that there was no way of winning the conversation without revealing her feelings to a married man. A taboo in all it's glory, "I heard what happened with your daughter while hacking into the DOATEC database."  
  
    Hayate remained silent, he wanted to hear what she had to say, "Since I'm an assassin who does this kind of stuff -and a friend- I want to go get her out of there."  
  
    "Why should I trust you?"  
  
    She bit her lower lip and lowered her eyes to her fidgeting fingers, "You just do."  
  
    "My step-sister is an assassin. Was an assassin, I know that they have to lie a lot. For all I know, my daughter could be another one of your targets."  
  
    "Hayate, I wouldn't do that to you."  
  
    "If you weren't a bad aim, you probably would have killed my sister."  
  
    "I admit it, Kasumi was my original target. But I changed my mind about killing her, then went after my previous client," Christie silently plead that he'd beleive her.  
  
    "Even if you are telling the truth, people in your line of work lie, you might still be lying right now. Why should I trust you?"  
  
    "Because I'm the only person who could help," she smiled, beleiving that she had won.  
  
    "No, you aren't I could always do it myself since Ryu can't. He won't tell Ayane because she'll try to convince him to since she personally knew the result of Project Omega. And the Shinobi are all being held captive. So I could do it. I can't trust you."  
  
    "Yes you can," she strived to not reveal what she knew she would eventually had to.  
  
    "Why?" the same question had been asked for what seemed the billionth time.  
  
    She decided to delay the inevitable no longer and sighed, knowing that there would always be an uncomfortable akwardness between Hayate and her, "Because, Hayate, through the long time we've been friends, I've grown closer to you. To the point of lust and infatuation. I just wouldn't admit it... I knew it was wrong. You can trust me. Even a killers cold heart can melt for someone."  
  
    Hayate looked away from her hoping it was again a lie and got up, opening the front door, "I'm leaving my daughter's life in your hands. Maybe if you succeed, I can learn to accept you as my friend again. But I will only have you as a friend, never more. Now if you will," he gestured out the door.  
  
    She headed towards the door, stopping to search Hayate's eyes for some forgiveness or softness. Maybe even love. She found none and headed out to her car, glancing back again to say goodbye, but the door was closed and the blinds were shut.  
  


* * *

  
    Ryu Hayabusa looked at the city that laid in front of him, it looked deserted. Everyone was held up in buildings. The population had beened decreased since the year before and Kasumi was nowhere to be found. He thought that she was probably running around Japan again, except without anyone helping her.  
  
    Since the city wasn't burned to the ground and they haven't killed everyone, it was obvious that they were just hostages. He had to give them what they wanted if they were ever going to free the Shinobi. It was going to be dangerous, but it had to be done eventually.  
  
    An army was gathering back home, ready to attack at a moment's notice. They would go directly to free the Shinobi to increase their forces and overwhelm the Shikoyo. Unfortunately, they were all seperated and he didn't know what building held more captives than the others. It would all come down to luck.  
  
    Ayane was sitting against a nearby tree. She had refused to stay behind while he went out to make an attack plan. Now it was a lot more risky because both of the clan leaders were in one place, "So are we ready yet?"  
  
    "Just a minute, I'm trying to figure out which building holds Shikoyo himself."  
  
    Ayane came over and sat down next to him, "You'll never find out. He knows someone's watching, he won't come out."  
  
    "Yeah, but we might as well try to find out."  
  
    "Ryu, he won't make a big difference. He's just one person."  
  
    "He's also now the leader of them after his father was killed."  
  
    Ayane tugged on his pant leg to make him sit down, he did, "Listen, there's not much we can do. Just free the Shinobi and attack. That's it. If we kill Mr. Shikoyo in the process, then yay, it's all over. If not, we will get him later."  
  
    "Fine, lets go back now. They're probably killing more of them as we speak," they got up and started walking back to their city.  
  
    "Ayane, why did you want to come back? We could still be on our honeymoon, enjoying our time off."  
  


* * *

  
**A.N.**- Ehh, cut off again. R/R. Thanks to whoever's reviews got removed or were never posted. Oh, sorry for the long wait. R/R. 


	4. Epilogue Chapter 4: The end

**A.N.**-Another review... gone. Well, thanks to whoever it was, hopefully **Qui-ti**, because I haven't gotten a review from her in a while. At least not one that actually showed up. Anyways, I'm planning on ending this this chapter. But don't worry, new H/H A/R fic coming up. Already got it started. Takes place in Japan during 894-901 AD. It's an AU.  
  
**Forevermore**- Well, the thing about Christie trying to kill Kasumi... that was due to the part in the original fic where she was supposed to kill her, but ended up shooting her employer. And as stated in the last chapter (or was it the one before), she wasn't taught karate.  
  
**Elkiem**- I know everything you said except for the part about the Shinobi. But I'm still making Shinobi Natsu's last name. And Kasumi and Hayate do Teshin-Mon. I know all about Hayabusa's Ninja Gaiden story, I just didn't know when I wrote that chapter a while back.  
  
**Zeshin Hayabusa**- Thanks for reviewing again.  
  
**Wolf Runner**- Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like this story.  
  
**digininga**- Well, I am putting no forethought into these chapters so you never know, even I don't know.  
  


* * *

**Our Past, Our Future**

Epilogue Part 4

_By Joey/Mai fan15_

  


* * *

  
    "I wanted to help my people. Besideds, if we didn't, the Shinobi would be in tons more trouble than they are now," Ayane looked straight at him, "When this is over, we can always take a vacation."  
  
    Ryu looked down. If he had proposed when Ayane had asked him to try again, nothing would have been interrupted, "Maybe not."  
  
    "Why? Is something else going on?"  
  
    He mentally slapped himself for letting that slip out, "No, nothing. Just expecting that we won't go for some reason or another," he couldn't let Ayane know about what happened to Natsu. She wouldn't let what happen to Genra happen again. And they would have to.  
  
    "Oh. Well, why do you think the Shinobi didn't fight back? And why aren't they teleporting out of there?" Ayane was puzzled by this question, always searching for an answer, "Do you think... it's a trap?"  
  
    "No, no. Maybe because they can't. The Shikoyo know magic too, maybe they're preventing them from using their magic. So they can only fight. They can't teleport."  
  
    "Maybe, but I'm still not sure. If they're being held there how did Kasumi, who should have been the most secured, get away?"  
  
    "I don't know," Ryu was equally puzzled, "But let's just get this over with. As soon as we get back, we'll get an army moving."  
  
    "No."  
  
    "What?"  
  
    "No. Ryu, I thought you had better judgement than this. If we are uncertain whether or not this is a trap, and there is evidence that it could be, then we shouldn't do this," Ayane saw the look of shock on his face.  
  
    "But they could be in danger."  
  
    "If it's a trap, they aren't."  
  
    Ryu groaned, frusturated at the difficulty that Ayane made, "If it isn't they are."  
  
    "Offhand, how many peices of evidence are there? One, Kasumi is nowhere to be found. Two, she managed to escape. Three, the rest don't escape. There's more."  
  
    "Ayane, we can't just sit here and do nothing."  
  
    "We have to. It's either the Shinobi or us. Even if it isn't a trap, both clans could be lost in the battle. It's not worth it."  
  
    "Ayane, just because you and your sister are-"  
  
    "You know me better than that! How can you think that that's why I don't want to free them? I don't care about that anymore! I just want what's best for our clan."  
  
    "I'm going to help them."  
  
    "Fine, but you arent using any of the Hajin-Mon. Just yours," the few that were born from both a Hajin-Mon parent and a member of the Hayabusa clan were still too young to fight.  
  
    "Ayane..."  
  
    "I know you want to help Kasumi and Hayate... but... just don't."  
  
    "I already had to give up one way to help them, I'm not giving up another."  
  
    "You know I love you... but be sensible! We aren't a hundred-percent sure that it isn't a trap. We aren't even at fifty-percent!"  
  
    "I'm helping them."  
  
    "Fine, but you aren't going with them. For your safety."  
  
    "I have to."  
  
    "Either, just them. Or no one," Ayane knew ordering him around wouldn't work so she tried one more time to plead with him, "Send in a few. Maybe ten to find out if it's a trap. At least one of them would be able to get out of there."  
  
    "Our people aren't to be wasted like that."  
  
    "They'll be captured and tortured, not killed. At least not for a while. Besides, if it is a trap, they'll die anyway... along with a lot of others."  
  
    Ryu sighed, frusturated at her stubborness, "And if none of them make it out."  
  
    "Then... then I'll be a hundred percent okay with you using our clan, both factions, and you to go and free them. You'll have my support," it was hard for her to admit this, but she was confident that they people they sent out would make it out.  
  
    "Thanks Ayane. I'm glad we could work something out."  
  


* * *

  
    Christie dropped her lock picks on the floor and took a drink from her canteen as she wiped her forehead. Five hours since she had disabled the alarms via her palm pilot, five of the longest hours in her life.  
  
    She wasn't used to this high level of stealth. Before, all she had to worry about was concealing her weapon and getting her victims alone. Like in the bathroom or something. Now, there were alarms, guards, dogs, cameras, everything you could imagine. No wonder all of DOATEC's money was spent.  
  
    She turned on her Palm Pilot and cycled through the cameras she had put up through the place. No one was coming, it should be a little easier from this point on. She finished drinking and wiped the sweat off her face. Her hair was drooped over her eyes and she moved it out.  
  
    She cycled through the screens to the map of the underground facility. She was still a long way from her destination, and that room was bound to be filled with scientists who were ready to pull an alarm at a moment's notoice.  
  
    The albino looked through her backpack for something that would help, knockout gas. Drop it through an outgoing vent, presto. But the security cameras. She couldn't disable them without a scientist seeing. The security office was the only place to do it. And that was three floors up.  
  
    "Damn, I shoulda taken care of that first thing. Oh well, the power is an alternative," the generator was next to the room where Natsu was. She could go there first, shoot out the cameras and any guards that were in there, then shut down the power. Hopefully Natsu wasn't on life support and there were no backups. But there had to be backups. But they were usually not any for security cameras.  
  
    She heard footsteps outside the door, then paused at the door. She looked at the screen for the camera that was supposed to be right there. Someone was outside, why hadn't it shown him earlier. She scrambled over to the desk and hid under it.  
  
    The door opened, the lights flicked on for a second, then the door closed. She started to lose faith in herself, she couldn't finish this mission. There was too much to do, she couldn't handle it. She felt like going straight to Victor Donovan and plead for him to let Natsu go.  
  
    All of this trouble she had gone through for Hayate would not be in vain. Weird though, this whole time, she hadn't been thinking of the mission, just arguing with herself about wether or not Hayate would feel different about her after this. It had been settled with a high dbout that he would, but he would at least beleive that she hadn't tried to kill Kasumi.  
  
    Christie opened her backpack and pulled out three grenades that she managed to steal from the armory. Why did a research lab have an armory? Oh, right the "search and detain" team. She got up and opened the door to check if anyone was in this hallway, "Good, no one's here."  
  
    She closed the door silently behind her and continued down the dark hallway.  
  


* * *

  
    Hayate woke up for the thirty-first time to the cold realization that his daughter was gone and the mystery of whether he'd have to kill her now. If he hadn't forgotten how, he would have burst into tears at the thought of this.  
  
    Hitomi, on the other hand seemed dazed about the whole situation. The whole month since their daughter had been kidnapped had been slow for her. She had stopped practicing and teaching karate ever since then, but promised a week ago that she would be teaching again the next friday.   
    Hayate glanced over at her and noticed the beads of cold sweat that had formed on her forehead. She was having a bad dream, probably about Natsu again. He got up and opened the window, then headed downstairs.  
  
    The house was silent as it usually was in the morning, nothing like the old mansion he grew up in in Japan. He reached the kitchen and poured coffe beans into the grinder. The phone rang and he picked it up before it could wake his wife, "Hello?"  
  
    "Hayate, it's me, Kasumi."  
  
    "Kas, where have you been? Everyone's been worried about you. I'd bet the Shinobi really hate you right now for leaving them at such a time," Hayate was surprised and releived to hear from his sister.  
  
    "I'm in Kyoto."  
  
    "How long have you been there, you should keep moving. They're probably after you."  
  
    "They aren't. They don't want to waste anybody on tracking me down," there was pleading in her voice, "Hayate, I don't really want to seem... I don't want to impose on you and Hitomi... but can I come and stay with you guys for a while. Just until this thing with the Shikoyo and the Hayabusa is finished."  
  
    "Sure. I mean it's okay with me. But I don't know about Hitomi," he took a sip of the coffe, "Natsu was kidnapped and she's in a bad way. She hasn't even smiled at me since then."  
  
    "Oh... well, then I'll find somewhere else to stay," Kasumi was dissapointed but she understood that it was a difficult time for her brother.  
  
    "No, I'll talk to Hitomi when she wakes up. Then I'll call you back. Do you have a phone with you?" Hayate took out a pencil and a peice of paper, ready to write it down.  
  
    "No, I don't really have anything with me... But I can just wait here until you call the pay phone here."  
  
    "Just call back on my cell in an hour or two," the two said their goodbyes and he hung up. He put his coffe down and went back upstairs to gather his things so that he could teach at the dojo in two hours.  
  
    Once he arrived in his bedroom, he noticed that Hitomi was awake and staring at the ceiling, "I'm leaving for the dojo in an hour, so I need to talk to you now."  
  
    "Yeah?"  
  
    "My sister wants to stay with us for a while. She managed to escape from the Shikoyo," he replied, "I'm alright with it if you are."  
  
    "Okay, it's... fine with me," she stood up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.  
  
    "I'm going to the dojo now to start the classes. If she calls back here instead of my cell, tell her that she can stay. Also tell her to remember that she's the owner of a boarding school," Hayate kissed her lightly on the lips before he walked out the bedroom door.  
  


* * *

  
    "No, sir. It isn't a trap. They're just hostages," with that the spy was dismissed.  
  
    Ryu smiled teasingly at his wife, "Told you."  
  
    "I was being cautious, so sue me. Now you can use my half of the clan to free the Shinobi. Don't make me change my mind," Ayane brunshed some of his hair out of his face, "But remember, you aren't going along with them.  
  
    "Ayane, I have to. It's not a trap."  
  
    "So? I don't want you hurt."  
  
    "I won't get hurt, besides, I'm the clan leader. I have to go."  
  
    "When I was clan leader, I never had to go."  
  
    "That's because you were only sixteen, and still needed a supervisor."  
  
    "Fine, you can go. But that's only because now we know that it's not a trap. Just be careful."  
  
    "I will be."  


* * *

  
    Christie entered the dark labratory, passcodes to the main computer in hand. She walked to the computer panel which was lighted by the glass cylinders that the test subjects were put into. She pressed the final button to activate the shutdown. It didn't seem to work, "517332, I entered that. What's wrong."  
  
    "What's wrong is I changed the codes," Victor Donovan walked towards her, "What do you think I'd do if someone shut down the power? Luckily this computer has its own generator. Otherwise, I'd lose all the data. That would be a shame, wouldn't it?"  
  
    "Save it. I want Natsu. You can forget the money, she can be my payment."  
  
    "You can have the child. We can't use her. Her blood type is not compatible."  
  
    "You guys knew she was type O."  
  
    "True... true, but we lost some of our data a few days ago. So we don't know how to preform the mutation process on a type O without certainly killing her," the doctor frowned, "Computers... so unreliable, yet we depend on them for everything."  
  
    "Well, then you should remember your research from now on, right?" the doctor frowned and Christie's sarcasm turned into seriousness, "Now, if you will get her out of there, I'll take Natsu back to her home."  
  
    "Well, there's one problem with that," Donovan turned on the screen of his pocket computer which showed a clip from the development of Project Epsilon, "This is her father, we are using her as bait."  
  
    "But he's not coming, that's why I'm here. His wife won't let him come," Christie glanced down at the screen, then quickly raised them back up at Donovan before he could notice.  
  
    "You know him?"  
  
    Christie knew what was coming, he'd want her to bring Hayate here, so she changed the subject, "I didn't know you kept porn on you computers, couldn't that get you fired?"  
  
    Donovan angered at the woman's suggestion, "It's not porn, and I'm not gay. It's a document of Project Epsilon. I have all the footage from Projects Alpha, Epsilon, Omega, and Delta on this peice of technology. Now, back to my question, do you know him?"  
  
    Christie knew there was no way now, Donovan was too set on Project Delta, "Yes, from the tournament."  
  
    "Well, then you can influence him to come get his daughter," Donovan smirked, beleiving that he had won.  
  
    "No, I won't. I came here to get Natsu, I never fail a mission."  
  
    "Your records show that you spared... ah, the test subject of Project Alpha, and shot your employer instead," Donovan turned off the small computer, "You have run into almost every test subject haven't you?"  
  
    "That was an acception, Kasumi was Hayate's sister. I wasn't going to hurt either of them. They were my friends."  
  
    Donovan looked at her, disgusted, "Friends make a killer weak."  
  
    "Give me what I came here for, now!" Christie grew impatient at the stalling of the old man.  
  
    "I'm sorry, I don't bend easily either," Donovan pulled his gun out and shoved it at Christie's neck, "Hmm... so beautiful. Too bad I'd have to kill you if you don't agree to my assignment."  
  
    "I'm an assassin, you're a scientist... hmm lets see, who would be a better excecutioner?"  
  
    "Christie, I suggest you leave. I wouldn't want to spill your blood," suddenly the lights turned on and the room was filled with DOATEC soldiers, "Ah, looks like the power is back on."  
  
    The albino assassin knew that with Donovan gone, DOATEC would fall. No one would be experimented on like this again, "I'm sorry, Hayate..."  
  
    Two gunshots went off, one hitting Donovan, one hitting Christie.  
  


* * *

  
    Ryu stumbled back into the Hayabusa clan's city, alone. The mission had failed and more than a hundred Hayabusa had died. Before their deaths, the Shikoyo were wiped out, unfortunatley, not in time. The Shinobi had been slaughtered out of impatience. Ayane ran up to him, "I knew you shouldn't have gone. It was pointless."  
  
    "No, it wasn't we've been able to kill all of the Shikoyo with a bomb, but the two of us that remained were killed in the explosion. I was the only one to make it. I should have died with them!"  
  
    "It's alright. If you weren't still alive everyone would be devestated. Especially me," Ayane took out piece of cloth and wiped the blood off his forehead.  
  
    "Hayate's gonna kill me. Not only did I lose his family's legacy... Kasumi was probably killed a long time ago as an example to what would happen if anyone tried to escape."  
  
    "Kasumi's alright, she called from Kyoto. She's staying with Hayate and Hitomi," Ayane led him to their own cabin, "And what's this I've heard about Natsu? She's experiment? Is she okay?"  
  
    "What about Natsu? Has she been returned to Hayate?"  
  
    "I don't know. Victor Donovan is dead now and the government officials have shut down DOATEC, so Natsu will probably be returned to them sometime within the next year if she wasn't a sucessful experiment," one of the Hayabusas' officials came up to them with new information.  
  
    Ryu sighed, "I guess... our troubles are over for the time being. All we have to do is bury the dead... then it's over."  
  
    Ayane nodded in agreement, "Why didn't you tell me about Natsu earlier."  
  
    "I couldn't go and help her, and since you personally knew Genra, you'd give me a hard time about it."  
  
    "Oh yeah," tears came to Ayane's eyes at the thought of her father-figure, "Genra..."  
  


* * *

  
**A.N.**- i know, lousy ending. But I'm not good at endings, so whatever. R/R. No flames. See my other DOA fic and R/R that. 


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